Nope! I read the Discography liner notes when I got the tape in '93.
Most of these B-sides were on my ballot.
"Love Etc" and "Minimal" are the best of this their autumnal period.
― The Edge of Gloryhole (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Monday, 4 July 2011 21:41 (twelve years ago) link
Should have voted for It Couldn't Happen Here. Wonderful song.
― Strictly vote-splitting (DL), Monday, 4 July 2011 21:44 (twelve years ago) link
Didn't vote for this, but pleasantly surprised how high it is.
36. The Truck Driver and his Mate. (1996, B-Side, 120 points, 6 votes, 0 number ones)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sHI7OHqKzW8
Spotify: http://open.spotify.com/track/2LHGm35sLk2yfQ6HdLjCKg
RIF: This is based on the slogan for 'Yorkie' chocolate bar, "Big enough for the truck driver and his mate."
― The multi-talented F.R. David (Billy Dods), Monday, 4 July 2011 21:45 (twelve years ago) link
^^^ one of mine. Love the guitar riff (played by Tennant).
― The Edge of Gloryhole (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Monday, 4 July 2011 21:48 (twelve years ago) link
great guitar line in this one. My #16.
― skip, Monday, 4 July 2011 21:48 (twelve years ago) link
35. One More Chance. (1984/1987, Actually, 123 points, 5 votes, 0 number ones.)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g-6gZExiOno
and the original Bobby O mix
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-vfszNwfGRE
Spotify: http://open.spotify.com/track/28h0GZFHrgVZ0WWiOHSZCU
― The multi-talented F.R. David (Billy Dods), Monday, 4 July 2011 21:52 (twelve years ago) link
Truck Driver was my number 3, really happy to see it has other fans.
― Kitchen Person, Monday, 4 July 2011 21:52 (twelve years ago) link
Truck Driver is an extremely complex song - goes from minor to major multiple times and has some seriously screwy chord progressions and seeming key changes. Somehow everything ties together but it has B-side written all over it. It kind of reminds me of "Cold Sweat" by James Brown, which is probably ridiculous but there you go.
― skip, Monday, 4 July 2011 21:53 (twelve years ago) link
34. Your Funny Uncle. (1988, B-side, 124 points, 6 votes, 0 number ones)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pn_uWqlbdOM
Spotify: http://open.spotify.com/track/05ohJ9ImZinFRQt4ZBpSWm
RIF: The song is inspired by the funeral of Neil Tennant's friend Chris Dowell whose death also inspired their song 'Being Boring'.
― The multi-talented F.R. David (Billy Dods), Monday, 4 July 2011 22:02 (twelve years ago) link
the highest b-side on my ballot. kind of expected it to be higher, tbh.
― Gukbe, Monday, 4 July 2011 22:03 (twelve years ago) link
33. I Don't Know What You Want But I Can't Give It Any More. (1999, Nightlife, 129 points, 6 votes, 0 number ones)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uNAtsYFRRbM
Spotify: http://open.spotify.com/track/5EBSLmkX5qsuCrWAooatKL
― The multi-talented F.R. David (Billy Dods), Monday, 4 July 2011 22:06 (twelve years ago) link
^^^^^ LOVE that tune.
― The Edge of Gloryhole (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Monday, 4 July 2011 22:13 (twelve years ago) link
Amazing single, was shocked at the time how badly it did. It's still their lowest charting lead single from an album which is tragic.
― Kitchen Person, Monday, 4 July 2011 22:15 (twelve years ago) link
I go back and forth on whether Nightlife or Fundamental is their best post-Very album. Nightlife is one of those period albums whose importance in my life squelches its chart record.
― The Edge of Gloryhole (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Monday, 4 July 2011 22:16 (twelve years ago) link
32. Try It (I'm In Love with A Married Man). (2003, Disco 3, 136 points, 5 votes, 0 number ones)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1F9yfAcnXk8
Spotify: http://open.spotify.com/track/4y0OgNrR076xLFSZWSuCa9
RIF: This was debuted in their only session for John Peel in October 2002, which can be downloaded from here.
It's also a cover of a Bobby O production from 1984.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K_rmlzgGX3A
― The multi-talented F.R. David (Billy Dods), Monday, 4 July 2011 22:17 (twelve years ago) link
Is "You Only Tell Me You Love Me..." going to outrank this? "Don't Know What You Want" is more profound both lyrically and musically. great track.
― skip, Monday, 4 July 2011 22:18 (twelve years ago) link
'It's Alright' higher than 'My October Symphony'? First WTF moment in this poll. 'My October Symphony' was my #02! Sheer pop perfection.
― Frogbs Day Afternoon (Le Bateau Ivre), Monday, 4 July 2011 22:19 (twelve years ago) link
I voted for "Drunk". Might have even been top 10.
― Gukbe, Monday, 4 July 2011 22:20 (twelve years ago) link
Both are career peaks: "I Don't Know What You Want..." has a marvelous disco vocal and "You Only Tell Me" is perfect acoustic singer-songwriter melancholy.
― The Edge of Gloryhole (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Monday, 4 July 2011 22:21 (twelve years ago) link
I go back and forth on whether Nightlife or Fundamental is their best post-Very album.
The Edge of Gloryhole (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn)
That's exactly the same with me they are both really good records, easily ahead of the other three albums.
― Kitchen Person, Monday, 4 July 2011 22:21 (twelve years ago) link
^ Oh I think I had to leave "Try It" out of my ballot. :( It's so great!
― daavid, Monday, 4 July 2011 22:24 (twelve years ago) link
oops
31. We All Feel Better In The Dark. (1991, B-side, 138 points, 1 number one)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rFylULoa70w
Spotify:http://open.spotify.com/track/2wqs78KoxpDHR0JgWA0bJx
RIF: The song is inspired by a tape titled 'The Secrets of Sexual Attraction'. which Chris Lowe bought at a health food store.
― The multi-talented F.R. David (Billy Dods), Monday, 4 July 2011 22:24 (twelve years ago) link
The Pitchfork review that forced me stop reading them for four years.
― The Edge of Gloryhole (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Monday, 4 July 2011 22:25 (twelve years ago) link
Going back to 'Try It', I wasn't aware it was a cover at the time, but they do a fantastic job of turning a fairly routine hi-nrg piece into something quite strange and magical.
― The multi-talented F.R. David (Billy Dods), Monday, 4 July 2011 22:27 (twelve years ago) link
not really feeling "Try It". nice production though.
I think of DJ Sprinkles when I hear "We All Feel Better in the Dark". And those have to be some of the most obviously 'dirty' lyrics in the PSB catalog.
― skip, Monday, 4 July 2011 22:27 (twelve years ago) link
Anyway, that's your lot for the night. 30-16 tomorrow.
― The multi-talented F.R. David (Billy Dods), Monday, 4 July 2011 22:29 (twelve years ago) link
Did everyone hear "Try It (I'm In Love With A Married Man)" off Disco 3 - one of the best later PSB songs I've heard, very hypnotic and melancholy.― Tom (Groke), Thursday, 14 August 2003 13:53 (7 years ago)
I'm always amazed at how terrible the Oh Romeo original is, considering how much er questionable Bobby 'O' productions I have time for (his James Brown ripoff, etc).
― etc, Monday, 4 July 2011 22:29 (twelve years ago) link
I find both Fundamental and Nightlife disappointing. A couple of very strong tracks but everything ranges from so-so to kind of awful.
― daavid, Monday, 4 July 2011 22:29 (twelve years ago) link
*everything else
― daavid, Monday, 4 July 2011 22:32 (twelve years ago) link
Glad "One More Chance" got some other votes - love the original mix to bits'n'pieces; Neil is still singing with a slight goblinoid/Almond sleaziness, and there's some fantastic synthesized "Streets Of Cairo"-esque public domain motifs garnishing the track.
― etc, Monday, 4 July 2011 22:33 (twelve years ago) link
I love "Your Funny Uncle" to pieces, though it always wrongfoots me - to me the title suggests it'll be about a black sheep in the family, the bachelor relation that "never married" etc; instead it's a straightlaced uncle in the military behaving decently at the funeral of his gay nephew.
... oh dear, it seems like one of Keane are covering it on YouTube.
― etc, Monday, 4 July 2011 22:42 (twelve years ago) link
god the 'admit you love me and you always did' part of Red Letter Day never gets old
― I'm A Genius, Too! (Jamie_ATP), Monday, 4 July 2011 22:54 (twelve years ago) link
Wow, a goodly chunk of my ballot was taken care of in the lower reaches (Liberation, It Must Be Obvious, It Couldn't Happen Here, Miserablism, My October Symphony).
Re post-Very records, I like both Nightlife and Fundamental a hell of a lot more than I did a week ago. I suspect that had something to do with relative under-exposure, so I have this poll to thank for rehabilitating them in my mind. On the other hand Bilingual and Release now still seem weaker than I had remembered.
― Nag! Nag! Nag!, Monday, 4 July 2011 23:01 (twelve years ago) link
Release has three songs and the rest is filler.
― The Edge of Gloryhole (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Monday, 4 July 2011 23:02 (twelve years ago) link
Elton John said this song saved his life (tonight).
― The Edge of Gloryhole (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Monday, 4 July 2011 23:03 (twelve years ago) link
I really should have voted for "Your Funny Uncle". The actual verse about the funny uncle is deeply affecting today.
― Nag! Nag! Nag!, Monday, 4 July 2011 23:19 (twelve years ago) link
Recap of 31-50.
31 We All Feel Better In The Dark B-side 138 6 132 Try It (I'm In Love With A Married Man) Disco 3 136 5 033 I Don't Know What You Want But I Can't Give It Anymore Nightlife 129 6 034 Your Funny Uncle B-side 124 6 035 One More Chance B-side 123 5 036 The Truck Driver and his Mate B-side 120 6 037 It's Alright Introspective 118 4 038 My October Symphony Behaviour 116 5 039 Losing My Mind (Liza Minelli) Collaboration 109 6 040 Miserabilism B-side 106 6 041 It Couldn't Happen Here Actually 105 5 042 It Must Be Obvious B-side 98 5 043 Some Speculation B-side 98 4 044 Love Etc Yes 94 5 045 Where The Streets Have No Name(I Can't Take My Eyes Off of You) Standalone 87 4 046 A Red Letter Day Bilingual 83 4 047 Liberation Very 81 4 048 To Face The Truth Behaviour 77 3 049 Do I Have To? B-Side 76 4 050 I'm Not Scared (Eighth Wonder) Collaboration 69 4 0
― The multi-talented F.R. David (Billy Dods), Tuesday, 5 July 2011 09:46 (twelve years ago) link
I remember playing my pop-hating grandma Your Funny Uncle when it came out and even she was moved. It might have been the lines from Revelation that did it.
― Strictly vote-splitting (DL), Tuesday, 5 July 2011 11:33 (twelve years ago) link
lol, of course I was the only one to list "We All Feel Better In The Dark" as #1
― DJP, Tuesday, 5 July 2011 11:56 (twelve years ago) link
I had it as my #3, and almost ranked it higher
― I DIED, Tuesday, 5 July 2011 12:29 (twelve years ago) link
I think I might have cut it from my last 25
― undeɹrated ærosm?th b∞tlegs I have pwned (sic), Tuesday, 5 July 2011 13:06 (twelve years ago) link
Can we post our ballots when it's all done?
― The Edge of Gloryhole (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Tuesday, 5 July 2011 13:13 (twelve years ago) link
I don't know if I should be concerned that so much of my ballot is showing up or psyched that I am so clued into the ILX PSB hivemind
btw if "Domino Dancing" is the highest-placing single I will hate all of you all day all day
― DJP, Tuesday, 5 July 2011 13:31 (twelve years ago) link
I was going to post a link to the google spreadsheet if no one objected, anyone who's keen and a bit more spreadsheet savvy could then have a play about with the figures.
― The multi-talented F.R. David (Billy Dods), Tuesday, 5 July 2011 13:32 (twelve years ago) link
btw thank you all for reminding me that "I Don't Know What You Want But This Song Title Just Isn't Long Enough" is fucking great, I often overlook it in the sea of "For Your Own Good"/"Closer To Heaven"/"New York City Boy" that surrounds it
― DJP, Tuesday, 5 July 2011 13:35 (twelve years ago) link
The "For Your Own Good"-"Closer To Heaven"-"I Don't Know" sequence is so good that I stop listening at this point. I'm helped by the fact that "Happiness is an Option" is a fucking dog.
― The Edge of Gloryhole (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Tuesday, 5 July 2011 14:24 (twelve years ago) link
yeah, 4th track on that album is an instant fast-forward. But what a group of first three tracks.
What does everyone think of "In Denial"? I am kind of partial to it despite the obviousness, sentimentality etc.
― skip, Tuesday, 5 July 2011 14:41 (twelve years ago) link
Love In Denial. Almost voted for it. I may be in a minority there.
― Strictly vote-splitting (DL), Tuesday, 5 July 2011 14:43 (twelve years ago) link
http://open.spotify.com/user/djperry1973/playlist/7LyurbFLzd9cnbyqaBdYKs
countdown from 50 - 1, five tracks missing because I couldn't find them (stupid Spotofiy, missing Behaviour) plus 2 versions of "I Want A Dog" (the superior original version and the boring Introspective version)
― sick yr finger up his butt (DJP), Friday, 16 September 2011 20:45 (twelve years ago) link
Format, a new B-Sides collection coming in February.
― encarta it (Gukbe), Friday, 18 November 2011 20:25 (twelve years ago) link
:(http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2012/mar/22/eric-watson?newsfeed=true
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iGf1bqtrrMo
― piscesx, Thursday, 22 March 2012 20:17 (twelve years ago) link
aww, RIP. A big reason why Catalogue is my favourite coffee table book.
― stay in school if you want to kiw (Gukbe), Thursday, 22 March 2012 20:37 (twelve years ago) link
RIP. Those sleeves and videos are burned into my brain.
― And I have been called "The Appetite" (DL), Thursday, 22 March 2012 23:20 (twelve years ago) link
There was some chatter about the Helena Springs version of A New Life on the poll threads; whether or not it was ever released and such. Here it is! As with the cover of Do I Have To? by Inga, i think i might actually prefer it to theirs
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=njjdHfeereM
― piscesx, Monday, 12 February 2018 12:51 (six years ago) link
I collated the chatter &c on one of the b-sides threads but great to be reminded of this - I should really rip it in case it vanishes.
― etc, Wednesday, 14 February 2018 08:23 (six years ago) link
I bought a 12-inch of "What Have I Done to Deserve This?" probably 5-10 years ago that I played for the first time tonight. I love "A New Life"--definitely would have had it on the ballot I submitted for this.
― clemenza, Wednesday, 3 February 2021 03:07 (three years ago) link
I think I prefer it to the A-side!
It doesn't feel like a decade since this exercise. I remembering reassessing Nightlife and concluding that said longplayer was upper-tier PSB. Pretty sure that's still my position.
― Nag! Nag! Nag!, Wednesday, 3 February 2021 06:19 (three years ago) link
"A New Life" is great and I voted for it in this poll! The one I regret not voting for is "Jack the Lad", which is probably in my top ten now
― Vinnie, Wednesday, 3 February 2021 12:46 (three years ago) link